RIGA, June 20 (Xinhua) -- Riga mayor Dainis Turlais was removed from office in a no confidence vote on Thursday after spending less than a month in his new job, municipal officials informed.
In a vote which followed a couple of hours of debating, the city council dismissed Turlais as Riga mayor by 31 votes to 29.
Turlais, a member of Honor to Serve Riga party (GKR), which together with Harmony, forms the current ruling coalition in Riga, was criticized by opposition councilors as one of the politicians responsible for the Latvian capital city's issues like multiple corruption scandals in municipal companies and the poor state of the city's bridges and streets.
Before becoming Riga mayor, Turlais chaired the city council's corruption prevention committee.
If attempts to elect a new Riga mayor within the next two months fail, the Latvian parliament can dissolve the current city council and call a snap municipal election.
Turlais was elected Riga mayor on May 30 after the city's previous mayor Nils Usakovs of Harmony party was elected to the European Parliament.
